My name is Lucia and I am a shopahol…. Just kidding. I actually don’t know what to write so this is pretty awkward, I think I’m just gonna talk to you guys about my week so far. I am visiting my hometown of London this week, I came down on Sunday so that I would be able to celebrate my birthday (which was on Monday) with my family and friends. I didn’t really have anything planned but I thought it would be nice to be home. I left my boyfriend in Derby as he was going to be working anyway.

I went out with my sisters and cousins on the Monday evening, we just had dinner and cocktails in Wetherspoons in Angel, and after cocktails turned into shots I was ready for bed. It was a lovely quiet night. Didn’t take many pictures but here are the ones I do have from that evening.

I had some lovely presents delivered to me from a certain Princess who was unable to be there for my birthday due to a big move of her own. I got a beautiful Kimono that I have been after for ages and she knows I am Yankee Candle obsessed so I got some lovely smellies.

On Wednesday night I went out for dinner and drinks with a few friends. We went to a Mexican street food restaurant called Wahaca in Angel (seems like I don’t veer very far from the Angel lol) and then onto the Glassworks for drinks afterwards. As you can see from the pics below I wore my newest Kmono that I got from my Bestie and a simple black maxi dress.

My Wednesday night outfit.

Not gonna give any info on the outfit as I will blog about this one soon.

Moving away from London was a big change for me as I was born and raised here so it’s been really lovely being able to see all my London friends and family.

I will be staying in London for a few more days as it’s my mums birthday on Sunday, then I will make plans to go back home. I don’t really have much going on here til I go home, All I know is that I need an emergency trip to Mac as I have zero eyebrow products here lol

Hope everyone is having a lovely week and I hope you liked this post.Lucia x

A Plus Size Shoppers Paradise!Any of you who read my blog will know that I have just recently moved to Derby from London, a big concern when moving here was what the plus size shopping scene was like. I was so happy to find out that it is actually much better than London especially for someone who likes going into stores to try things on.

The main plus size stores that are in Derby town centre are:

Simply Be

Yours Clothing

Evans

New Look Inspire

Bon Marche

The last couple of weeks I have been enjoying visiting the stores, shopping and trying things on. It has been a big part of getting to know my area.

Last week I went into Simply be and tried on a few pieces that caught my eye, I have a couple of dressing room pictures, not great quality but will give you an idea of what they look like on. I bought a couple of the things I tried on and will probably write about them at a later time.

Joe Browns Tea Dress (Can’t find it on the website even though its still in store)

Simply be Kaftan

Twit Twoo Retro Tunic

I love the Derby Simply Be store, the staff are super helpful and he dressing rooms are really spacious and I don’t feel at all rushed if I take a whole load of items in with me.
I bought the Joe browns floral tea dress and the kaftan and I love them both for the summer.

Yesterday Debz at WannabePrincess Came to visit me and we went into town for a spot of shopping and one of the places I really wanted to pop back into was Yours Clothing, They have an amazing range of Kimonos (a little bit kimono obsessed at the minute). I had my eye on one on the website and i wanted to see what it looked like on. I have a couple of jersey kimonos already so I wanted to have a look at the sheer Georgette ones. I tried on two in Yours and took pics of a couple others as they have quite a few.

A variation of prints of a beautiful long tasseled kimono

Floral Printed Sheer Georgette

Longline Floral Print Sheer Kimono

Multi Tropical Print Longline kimono

I originally went in to try these and see what they look like on but i ended up buying the black longline floral kimono as once i had tried it on i couldn’t leave without it. I will definitely blog about it separately because I am totally in love and can see myself wearing it all the time.
The staff in the Yours Clothing store are so lovely, we were greeted by the store manager and had some lovely conversations with staff members, my clothes that I selected were waiting for me in a dressing room so I didn’t have to carry them around the store while I was browsing and staff are on hand to go and exchange sizes if you need it. It was a really really nice shopping experience.

I am really enjoying the shopping experience in Derby on a whole, all the plus size stores I mentioned are located in and around the Westfields Centre so we didn’t have to travel far between stores which is always a plus in my book.

It was a little bitter sweet as this was the last Hamburger Queen competition ever I went a couple of times last year and I loved it so I wasn’t going to miss this finals this year.

if you don’t know what Hamburger Queen is I wrote about it a few weeks ago and you can read about it HERE

I mainly wanted to write this post because of the awesome skirt I wore that night. I picked this skirt up from a fellow blogger at a clothes swap a couple of months ago. The skirt was made by another blogger on the scene. I love how clothes get to be passed around and loved like new.

Little Ladybug

I kept the rest of the outfit really really simple with a black form fitting top that I have had for years and a pair of black leggings.

This skirt is amazing! I would love to have it in black and white too. Its falls like a full circle skirt, Its so floaty and feminine. There is so much movement when you are walking I felt like a ladybird princess.

Before I left home I put on a skinny red belt that came with a YoursClothing dress that I have.

I have on my Primark wide fit shoes that everyone is going crazy about. I love them sooo much, they are probably my most comfortable shoes!

I kept the makeup really simple too.

False lashes and my trusty red lippy (Ruby Woo by MAC)

All of the jewellery I am wearing is costume pieces that I picked up Primark.

Here I am pictured with the gorgeous and talented Ginger Johnson

(had to get a pic with her again as I have a lovely pic with her from last year too)

I found a way to turn a beautiful sexy dress into an entirely different and just as stunning dress without making any alterations!

I purchased this Gold sparkly bodycon dress for £18 in the new look Inspire sale a month or two ago and I think its just gorgeous. I bought it in a size 28 and it fits really nice and close.

Below is how the dress look on.

As you all know I love a form fitting dress but I also love a fun and flirty full skirt so I decided to make a very sexy dress into a totally new dress for a specific night out without altering the original dress in any way.

I put one the body con dress and put on my Polkadot Polly full circle skirt over it.

I makes it look like an entirely different dress and love it.

I wore this outfit with a pair of gold and black wedges that I picked up in Torrid while on holiday in the states.

A leopard print New look Clutch.

I love this look and I think I will be using this skirt to revamp a whole host of other dresses that I have. I don’t think bodycon dresses are appropriate for every single occasion so this is a great way to make some of my other dresses a lot more versatile.

Last year a few friends and I heard about a fatty talent competition being held in London and to say we were excited was a major understatement. We managed to get tickets to one of the heats and to the Grand final. We as a group had an amazing time so much so that a few of us bought tickets for this year as soon as they were released.

I wasn’t too sure what to wear and ended up going really casual as the event was held in a pub.

I wore converse, (not so) skinny jeans, a men’s denim shirt I picked up from eBay and later customised and my Evans leather look jacket.

Looking back on it now I wish I had been a little more adventurous with my outfit… but I made up for it the next week at the finals

I didn’t know what to expect before I attended the first one but I was greeted by the fabulous Ginger Johnson

Another nice little surprise was the fries and chocolate chips on the menu, sounds really odd but was actually really really good!

Met and had my picture taken with Hamburger Queen Judge June Brown (Plays Dot Cotton in Eastenders)

There were some really fun fatty bits and bobs for sale and I couldn’t resist a ‘Chubby’ badge!!!

When the time came for the Grand final I decided to make a statement T-Shirt in the spirit of the fatty event and this is what I came up with!

‘Fat Bitch’

I absolutely loved this top! I made this shirt in the days leading up to the Hamburger Queen final specifically with this event in mind. It was a little awkward on the train so I ended up zipping my jacket all the way up half way home (once the wine started to wear off lol) Not only did I have fun with the outfit, I also used it as a opportunity to wear some fun make up too…

I basically chose 5/6 Mac colours and had some fun on my eyes.

Was chatting to some interesting characters outside the venue during intermission.

Below is performer

As well as the Talent show there are other performances to fill the night. My friends and I had an amazing time at the two events we went to last year and I am eagerly awaiting this year’s events.

Hamburger Queen really is a place that is all about fun, you can really just let loose and be a little outrageous, see some outrageous stuff and meet some outrageous people. If you come along be sure to pop over and say Hi.

“Scottee welcomes you back for a fourth and final, super sized helping of his infamous talent show for fat people Hamburger Queen!

Over four heats and a grand finale, a gang of plus size punters will be whittled down in a game show designed to find the perfect fatso. Each chubby contestant will endure three rounds: Trend (flaunting your fat fashion), Taste (your signature dish served to our celebrity judges) and Talent (light entertainment for heavy weights).

Each heat is judged by some familiar showbiz faces including the UK’s biggest talk show host, international pop diva, 90’s pop legend, day time TV’s fave fatty, YouTube sensation, an international model, a muse not to mention Scottee’s Mum.

This years head judge is international plus size model and ‘British bombshell’ (Vogue) Felicity Hayward!”

London Heats 3rd, 10th, 17th, April Brighton Heat 4th AprilGrand Final 24th April

Ok, so Claire suggested a few bloggers answer the ‘What being a fat woman is really like’ questions from the recent Cosmopolitan article. Loads of plus size bloggers asked to be involved including me…o below I have answered all of the questions that were asked.I think its a great idea and a really good way for us bloggers and to get to know each other and for our readers to get an insight into what we are like. *I will be linking all the other bloggers who took part below*

So here we go!!

How do you feel when other women around you complain about feeling/being fat?I hear it so much it just makes me roll my eyes and I now refrain from commenting. I am very confident at my size (30/32) So it doesn’t really bother me. I do however look around to gauge other peoples reactions to the comments. Mostly its looks of horror like ‘you cant say that around her, she is way fatter’ lol. I just don’t think people consider other peoples self image when complaining about their own looks.

How has your body image changed since high school? College?

My body image has changed greatly since I was in College. I was very unhappy with my size at that age. The size I was in my late teens is not completely dissimilar to the size and shape I am now. What a lot of people don’t know is that I gained a lot of weight after leaving education and have lost it again, so being this size again is wonderful to me. I don’t know if it is just compared to how I was when I was bigger or if it is because I am older and a lot more comfortable with myself in general. Either way there is a world of difference in how I see myself now approx. 12 years on. I accept my body for exactly what it is, I wear what I like and act how I like and I think that’s the way it should be.

Have you tried dieting? What happened?

Yes.I remember being put on my first diet at the age of 11 years old. As an adult I have tried various diets but nothing has ever stuck. I have lost and gained bit and bobs here and there but never had a substantial weight loss until about 3-4 years ago. I do believe that you have to really want to lose weight for yourself if you are ever to succeed. I am very well aware of what needs to be done to lose weight and I think its a common misconception that fat people don’t have a clue how to lose weight when I think a lot of fat people know better than anyone. I am at a stage in my life where I am the most happy I have ever been, I am not at my biggest or smallest but am definitely my most content.

Do you think in your case your weight is partly or entirely genetic?I will be completely honest here and say I don’t know. All of the adult women in my family on both sides are fat. Growing up that’s what all the women looked like. I don’t know if I am genetically predisposed to being fat or not. It is shown everyday that people can lose weight and I am strongly behind the statement that if you have a problem with being overweight then you should make the necessary steps to get to where you personally feel most comfortable and happy. I also think that people need to get the idea out of their heads that all fat people are unhappy

Do you consider yourself healthy? Have there been instances where people assumed you were unhealthy?No, I don’t consider myself to be healthy, but that is not solely to do with my weight, I am a lot healthier than I was a couple of years ago and I am very happy about that. As I get older I feel I will need to pay closer attention to my health as with anyone else. It is expected that people will assume that all of us fat people are unhealthy because that’s what they have been taught, despite the fact that you cant see someone’s health just by looking at them, some idiots think that Fat is a health condition in and of itself..

Are your parents both supportive of you at the weight you’re at? Have they always been?

My mum is a plus size woman as her mother was and so on. Both my parents were concerned about my weight when I was younger and tried everything they could to help me lose weight whether that be taking me to a slimming class or just voicing their concerns about health risk etc.When I was quite a bit heavier than I am now my whole family had a lot to say about it, but like I said earlier no amount of interference from others will make it happen unless you make the decision yourself to make things happen and that goes with many things in life. At 29 and the weight I am now I have the full support of my whole family but I think that’s mainly because they can see how happy I am and that outweighs anything else and I feel exactly the same I’m just really enjoying life, love and cake…everything else can wait til later,

How do you think retailers can improve clothes for plus-size people?I don’t really know what to say here because if I was asked this a few years ago it would have been a page full of complaints, but I think plus size fashion has come a really long way in recent years. I think more companies are getting on board the plus size wagon and shopping is a lot of fun whereas a few years ago it was an absolute nightmare. especially for girls that are at the larger end of plus size. The only problem I have is companies doing plus size ranges up to a size 24, I feel like if your gonna take the plunge and offer bigger sizes you need to go all in. There is nothing worse than hearing about a new brand offering plus sizes then discovering they are just not plus enough. Saying that though over the Christmas season I was looking for a party dress and I had so many options I had to make a dress shortlist, that can only be good news in my book.

Do you think plus-size women are judged differently than plus-sized men are? How?

I think there is a stigma attached to being fat in general, but I do think women get the worst of it when it comes to fat discrimination. Big men up to a certain point are seen as manly and when women are even slightly over weight they are just fat. In terms of relationships and finding a partner I think society believes bigger men are more attractive than bigger women and therefore struggle less to find partners. I feel that large men have the same insecurities that a lot of large women have and I think the lack of confidence plays a big part in how attractive they feel and how attracted people are to them.

Do you think there’s an assumption made/stereotype that exists about plus-size people? How would you respond to it?

Of course. People assume that fat people are all lazy slobs that spend the majority of their time sitting around eating. I think that’s ridiculous. I know a lot of fat people that have great jobs and great families and have achieved wonderful things in their lives. but more importantly I know a lot of fat people who are genuinely really happy with exactly who they are and I think that lends to doing great things and having the confidence to do whatever they want to in life. I am fat and I work in the beauty industry, an industry that I was told that I wouldn’t be easily accepted into. I work on my feet and travel all around for work. This is what makes me hate peoples assumptions because I shouldn’t have to explain what I do to change peoples minds about me.

Do you think there’s ever a right way or time to express concern about someone’s weight?

(might be a bit controversial but….) Yes I have a lot of people that I care about and If there was something that I was genuinely concerned about I would mention it to them, that doesn’t mean I would be nasty about it or try to make them feel small, but I do think certain relationships are solid enough that two people can have an honest and frank conversation. That being said I don’t think there would need to be an intervention unless that person was seriously putting themselves at risk.

What are the worst things people have said to you about your body?I have never really experienced any major bullying, the odd comment in a nightclub, the old whispering ‘omg look at her’, ‘fat bitch’ etc… No real specific instance that has stuck in my mind but yeah for years I was very aware of the stares and little comments.

How did you respond?When I was younger peoples comments used to really upset me to the point that I just wanted to stay home to avoid it. I wish I knew then what I know now, and that is that they never really mattered. I don’t know if this makes sense but I think I get those comments less now because I carry myself differently and I think that they can tell that I love who I am so it would kinda be pointless. When comments are made when I’m alone or out with plus size friends I kinda just giggle to myself at how immature they are. I kinda feel bad that they aren’t as content with their lives as I am.

What have people said (or do you wish they’d say) that would compliment your body or appearance?People say nice things about my body and appearance all the time (god that sounds so conceited) but again I think its because of the way I carry myself. I am very confident and that translates in the way I dress and do my makeup etc.. I love getting dressed up and going out, what girl doesn’t like to look pretty.

Do you find yourself hanging out with women who are closer to your size?I have fat friends and thin friends. Having recently gotten into plus size fashion blogging I have been meeting more and more fat girls and I love it. One of my closest friends is a fat girl who wears the same dress size as me. She is amazing and I love her dearly and we would totally still be friends if she was skinny but being able to share wardrobes is the best bonus ever!!! lol

How has your weight affected your sex life, if at all?

Not at all lol. It may have prevented me from starting til I was 21, but since then not at all.

When you’ve been single, has your weight affected your dating life?

No, when I was single I has full length body pictures on any online dating profiles and when meeting people on nights out etc. they could plainly see what I look like. I actually really enjoyed dating and meeting new people, my weight was never an issue as they always knew exactly what they were getting. The only thing my weight would have affected is the types of guys that were attracted to me.

Do you feel weird if the guy you’re with only dates larger women?I have very strong views when it comes to this subject. It really irks me when women say that guys who only date big women have a fetish. I think that’s ridiculous when its perfectly normal for a man to prefer blondes or women with bigger busts. A woman who has a preference for a man with a beard is not seen as having a fetish. It is purely about preference. I have dated men who prefer big girls and I have dated men who have never dated a plus size woman before me. I actually prefer men who are more attracted to bigger girls as they have seen it all before and can appreciate all of you and they are no longer worried about their friends and families opinions.

Do you feel weird if he’s only dated slimmer women before you?

I have dated men who have never been with a plus size woman before and I must admit have been a little worried about surprising them with just how much woman I actually am but all that goes away once you get to know each other better. I would hate to wonder if the person likes me so much that they would put up with my weight. My boyfriend has a preference for big girls, always has, that’s just his type. I want someone to love every single thing about me and I have that.

Last weekend I had a nice little night in planned with my good friend Debz, a Wannabe Princess.I dressed super casual, no makeup, ready for evening of Chinese food, snacks a plenty and a couple of DVD’s…. Silly me!!!!I should know better than anyone just how impulsive and up for a night of fun Debz is. This is a pic story of how I went from casual night in, to Oh God we are off on a night out and I have no clothes or makeup!!!!!!!

How I looked when I turned up for our night in!

Never in my life have I been so grateful to have a fellow fatty as a friend!!!!!

With permission of course, I headed off to Debz wardrobe in the hopes of finding something that I would wear with my trusty and ever so comfy Primark snuggly boots, and was still suitable for an impromptu night out with the gays.

I had completely forgot that she owned this dress and when I spotted it, it was a total ‘I hear angels singing’ moment.

When this dress was released on the Pink Clove website I fell in love wuth it (along with every other fat bird on the planet) As everyone was purchasing it I opted for the skater skirt in the same print, which I still love.

As soon as I put the dress on I hated myself for not buying it, I went straight for my phone and onto the Pink Clove website to buy one and being the unlucky lady that I am they no longer have this dress on their website

Absolutely adore this dress…and the extreme boobage lol

Ok so with an outfit sorted I still had to make something out of my bare face. Luckily The Princess have a truckload of makeup which I got to play it and make myself look presentable. The only problem I had was not having any skin make up i.e. foundation or concealer. But I made do and did a sweet beat on myself.

Make up I did for my night out- no skin makeup and eyeshadow done using my fingers lol.

I had an amazing night by anyone’s standards and am so glad we decided to go out in the end, again having a friend that wears the same size clothes as I do is a bloody miracle that I am oh so grateful for.

Has anyone had nights like this where you have to throw yourself together and are still really happy with the outcome?

do you have plus size friends that you can share clothes with?

I would love to hear similar stories to this as this was definitely new to me, but something I think could be fun to do again.

I recently went to the Plus London plus size market evening. I was really excited to be going as a seller and a bargain hunter. I was initially concerned that I wouldn’t find anything fat enough for me but fortunately I left with quite a few pieces that I will be sharing with you over the coming posts here. This one I have to say I am the happiest with, it is such a versatile piece and I want to wear it all the time with everything and in my eyes that is reason enough to warrant a blog post all of its own. However the best part is that I picked it up for only 50p. I’m gonna say that one more time because even I still can’t believe it… I got this beautiful maroon oversized and deliciously comfy cardi FOR JUST 50p!!!! It is a Jeffrey and Paula slouch cardigan that I bought from fellow blogger Chattermonkey (check out her blog here)She initially showed it to me because it was one of her items that was roomy as I approached her table saying “Show me the mega fat stuff!” I have to admit I bought it because it was big enough and because it was an absolute steal at fifty pence. However when I got it home and had a try on and a good look at the shape I was sooooooo excited. I love the slouchyness of it and how I am able to just throw it on with anything and I also love the colour.

Its pieces like this that made me want to start a blog in the first place. Me (a size 30) wearing a Primark (size 18/20) Jumper

(Don’t mind the rest of the outfit…I’m home today lol)

This little gem is a jumper I picked up earlier this year from Primark… yes PRIMARK!!!! what is a UK size 30 doing shopping in primark, I hear you all wondering… well let me explain…originally I started shopping in Primark for their costume jewellery, cute socks and handbags… the things a lot of plus size women buy from shops that don’t stock their size. Then I came across their knickers and as I went from knicker to knicker stretching them to within an inch of their life I decided that some of them would fit my chunky butt so I bought a couple and never looked back! They currently only go up to a size 18-20 in their knickers and the boxer short style and the thongs fit me just fine.. anyway back to the original point….

This is The point of this post is just that I want to stress just how much more is available to us plus size girls than we think. This is a size XXL from Primark (which I believe is like an 18/20 ish) and I love it. Its not super tight and its not too short either. Its has a really warm roll neck and 3/4 length sleeves. I love it so much I bought it in the two colours they had available… Cream and Grey..

I think we all kinda get stuck in the whole “I’m a size **, so that wont fit me” mind-set and so was I for the longest of times, now I like to try things on or give them a good old pull and stretch in the store. I know my body fairly well and can often judge whether something will fit me or not. I’m not saying I can walk into any store and pick up a size 18/20 and it will fit, I’m just saying some clothes that I marketed as ‘oversize’ to a smaller size can work for us too.

I just wanna say have a look in places your normally wouldn’t and you may just find some hidden gems!!!!!

I would love to hear about anything like this people have found as I’m always on the lookout for new items I can grab and play around with…..

Plus size fashion, home and lifestyle blog.

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About Me

Im so sick and tired of hearing what fat girls should and
shouldn’t be wearing...

I am a plus size makeup artist born and raised in London, I
currently wear a dress size 30 sometimes even a 32!

I dress for myself every single day, whether that be jeans
and a T-shirt or a sexy bodycon dress. I am very body positive and have never
felt the need to push my views onto anyone else, Recently though I have been
approached by a number of girls on a number of different occasions with
comments such as “I wish I had the confidence to wear a dress like that” and
similar such statements, I think it has a lot more to do with not really giving
a monkeys what other people think, especially people who have no impact on our
lives whatsoever i.e. that guy on the bus sneering at my big fat exposed arms
lol

Ok so....

There is a lot of talk about plus size women and fashion,
the internet is awash with plus size women look fabulous in the latest trends,
bright colours, prints...the lot!

I for one love this, it is long overdue, what I think we are
still not seeing enough of is plus size women on the larger end of the scale
looking just as fabulous in the latest trends. I wear a UK dress size 30 and I
am a massive fan of fashion (yes pun intended x), with that being said I dont
feel like women my size should limited in what we wear, as long as fashionable
clothes are available to us I don’t feel like society should have any bearing
on whether we purchase these items and wear them proudly.

I have decided to start a blog with the occasion vlog just
to show people that us fat girls can wear whatever we like, as long as I feel
comfortable wearing said items I will continue to wear them, this is not to say
I walk around in outrageous outfits everyday but I do like to sport the
occasional form fitting dress or expose my midriff... and I just want to show
other plus size women that we can and should wear whatever the hell we
like!!!!!!!